He might not be able to dominate like that, and he doesn't appear to be all too strong, but it's clear how fast and athletic he is regardless of the competition. He'd probably be a pretty good rotational player, either as a 4-3 DE or a rush linebacker.

If he runs a 4.65 forty at 270lbs, why would he need to cut weight even more? Why couldn't he be a rush LB at 270? If anything, he'd have to gain weight if he wanted to play the DE in a 3-4.

That's nice running forward from a 3 point stance, but what about standing up? What if he is in a zone blitz-heavy scheme and has to drop back into a passing lane regularly? Or occasionally cover a TE or RB. It takes a rare specimen to play OLB at 270+. Like a Mario Williams-level athlete. Maybe this guy is on that level, I don't know.

I would expect 275 is a fine weight to be at so he can test with teams for multiple positions. But I expect once a team settled on a position for him, he'd need to gain weight (for 5 tech) or lose a bit (for OLB). Of course for 4-3 DE he's fine.

Did this Catapano guy ever drop into coverage or was he strictly a down lineman? I'm curious how 3-4 teams will view him. Is he a country-strong white guy that can excel as a 5 tech like Justin Smith and JJ Watt? Or can he drop weight and use his athleticism to get after the QB as a rush OLB?

Dropping names like Smith and Watt for a guy from Princeton seems sort of funny. Maybe he'll be something. A reason to watch the East-West game i guess.

If he runs a 4.65 forty at 270lbs, why would he need to cut weight even more? Why couldn't he be a rush LB at 270? If anything, he'd have to gain weight if he wanted to play the DE in a 3-4.

Actually just heard on another forum that he was running close to a 4.6 flat last week at Parisi Speed School in NJ and will likely be the fastest DE in the combine at around 275 lbs. Also projected to bench around 30 reps despite having super long arms. Besides the Ivy League tag he should be one of if not THE most impressive DE at the combine.

Well, if he is any good according to NFL scouts, we'll see him at the combine where he'll have an opportunity to excel, if he's not invited to the combine the odds of him being a soilid prospect are diminished considerably.
Face it, he hasn't played against another pro prospect yet never mind on a consistent basis and dominating the IVY League isn't a strong recommendation. Now if he dominates at the East-West Shrine game then maybe he gets an invite to the combine and perhaps gets drafted.

Mamula wasn't that bad of a player - how he is still the poster boy for a bust is beyond me.

Vernon Gholston is the epitome of a workout warrior, not Mike Mamula. We need to be conscious of this and make sure to use Vernon Gholston in situations where Mamula might've been invoked in the past. The bar has been lowered.

Mamula wasn't that bad of a player - how he is still the poster boy for a bust is beyond me.

He had sort of an average NFL career but it was more the fact that he was the 7th pick in the draft and picking there you'd expect more.

Watching some video of this guy from Princeton he looks really good for that level of competition but a lot of his work is against QBs that hold the ball forever and he ends up cleaning up the mess. As with a lot of guys you'd like to see a Catapano play for one of the major programs and really see what he could do. Guess that's why scouts have a job.

I still feel that if this guy was that great a football player, he would have received scholarship offers from Northwestern, Duke, Cal, Stanford, UVA, WF, GT or Vanderbilt as a prep.

I understand it's hard for anyone to turn down being accepted to Princeton out of HS, but I seriously question his NFL upside and how he 'built up' his body into a lean 275#.

Meh that argument really doesn't make sense. Plenty of good NFL players come from smaller schools. Plenty of good players go to smaller schools for whatever reason and plenty of big time recruits end up busting in college or the NFL.

He could of built up his body by hard work and dedication - not sure if you were insinuating that he was juicing or taking HGH.

He had sort of an average NFL career but it was more the fact that he was the 7th pick in the draft and picking there you'd expect more.

Watching some video of this guy from Princeton he looks really good for that level of competition but a lot of his work is against QBs that hold the ball forever and he ends up cleaning up the mess. As with a lot of guys you'd like to see a Catapano play for one of the major programs and really see what he could do. Guess that's why scouts have a job.

Gholston had an abortion of a career. Mamula was solid and though he was overdrafted he didn't embarass himself. Didn't Mamula also have some pretty serious injuries?

I still feel that if this guy was that great a football player, he would have received scholarship offers from Northwestern, Duke, Cal, Stanford, UVA, WF, GT or Vanderbilt as a prep.

I understand it's hard for anyone to turn down being accepted to Princeton out of HS, but I seriously question his NFL upside and how he 'built up' his body into a lean 275#.

This is my first post, and I just joined because of your posts funbuncher. I know Mike personally and have been getting a kick out of reading all the comments on here (both good and bad) but what made me join and post was because of your personal insult and attack on his character. It bothers me. Know why? Because he is a rock solid kid!

Mike worked for me when he was 17 at my gym that I own here in NY and wow, you just knew back then he would end up being something special one day. Besides looking about 27 not 17 lol Mike carried himself like an adult with poise of a man of DOUBLE his age. Mike had offers to big schools but when he was accepted to Princeton he chose the education and told me he would be drafted one day anyway. Well, damn here we are and the kid had 12 sacks, won Ivy League Player of the Year and we are all here talking about him on an NFL draft board. WOW!

Impresses the hell out of me actually. What is more impressive is that this kid who yes was born at almost 13 lbs and was a MONSTER when he worked here at 17 is now a 275 lbs lean AMAZING athlete...and its absolutely incredible how well he moves for such a big dude. But PED's? Hell no! You are barking up the wrong tree here. Reading this just pissed me off to no end!!! Why? Cause I know. hey, i worked with all kinds of pro athletes in my 20+ years as a trainer and have seen it all and know what goes on. But Mike?? No sir.

Mike is a very unique blend of incredible natural talent (that is 100% god given) and an amazing focus and work ethic like NOBODY else. Nobody! I'm sure any teammate who has ever played with Mike will back that up as well. So while I realize your suggestion of PED's because he can run a 4.6 40 and bench 30 reps etc....is really a compliment to the freakish athlete that Mike has evolved into, I also felt compelled to come on here and set the record straight! Lots of freaks in the NFL...he will certainly be one of them.

I wouldnt even bother to comment on here but knowing Mike the way I do (and holding him in as high regard as I do) I felt I should because naive speculations from people who dont know him takes away from the totality of his character, and that simply didnt sit right with me. All the bs going on with baseball and guys not getting voted into hall of fame etc...and you are gonna pick on a kid like Mike who is one of the purest kids I ever met? hell no man! I gotta stand up for this guy. Kid was BORN for this! Literally.

Big Mike if you read this, best of the luck in next week's Shrine Game and in the upcoming draft buddy! Apparently alot of people will be watching.

That's nice running forward from a 3 point stance, but what about standing up? What if he is in a zone blitz-heavy scheme and has to drop back into a passing lane regularly? Or occasionally cover a TE or RB. It takes a rare specimen to play OLB at 270+. Like a Mario Williams-level athlete. Maybe this guy is on that level, I don't know.

I would expect 275 is a fine weight to be at so he can test with teams for multiple positions. But I expect once a team settled on a position for him, he'd need to gain weight (for 5 tech) or lose a bit (for OLB). Of course for 4-3 DE he's fine.

I don't don't disagree. He couldn't play a 3-4 end @275 and he may be too heavy footed at his current weight for a 3-4 OLB. He's about perfect for a 4-3 end in terms of weight. I guess I'm basing my "why lose weight" question on the hype the OP is putting out there. Obviously, we'll have to wait and see his triangle numbers to see his lateral agility before any "he needs to do this..." statements are made.

Going to post another player who seems to be a sleeper at defensive end, who I came across researching prospects for the forum fantasy mock draft. I took him near the end of the 5th round. Malliciah Goodman has a very limited repertoire of moves, but he is huge, athletic and if is capable of overpowering blockers. I'd love to see what he could do if he uses his hands better. He already is very quick off the snap, is strong, has incredibly long arms, and despite his great size is very good and getting his hips low and impacting the offensive tackles below their pads and getting underneath them. He plays with good leverage.

Start at 33 seconds in. Top of the screen, number 97.

0:35 below is another example.

And he looked excellent vs. LSU in their bowl game:

Ya, you aint kidding....Goodman looks CRAZY good. Way better than a lot of the guys I have seen ranked top 10 so far. Draft Sleeper as well. No doubt. Never saw that LSU game...damn he was a disruptive force there. Even his name is imposing lol

Ya, you aint kidding....Goodman looks CRAZY good. Way better than a lot of the guys I have seen ranked top 10 so far. Draft Sleeper as well. No doubt. Never saw that LSU game...damn he was a disruptive force there. Even his name is imposing lol

lol?

He was very good as a pass rusher, but was a total liability in the run game. He was knocked off the LOS a good 5 yards on some of those plays.

Ya, you aint kidding....Goodman looks CRAZY good. Way better than a lot of the guys I have seen ranked top 10 so far. Draft Sleeper as well. No doubt. Never saw that LSU game...damn he was a disruptive force there. Even his name is imposing lol

On some plays he looks crazy good, which is why I suggested specific spots to look at in the first two videos. In those clips you can clearly see the potential for him to be a dominating lineman, but descendency's right to pump the brakes on the excitement - he's definitely not there yet and has quite a bit of work to do on his all-around game. On those big plays he had, he's really not even using any moves. He's just... overwhelming his blocker. I especially love the sack he had on Mike Glennon. That RT was on skates. Goodman absolutely blew off the snap, hit hit the tackle hard with his hands underneath his pads and propelled him back into the QB. It reminded me of the play Justin Smith made in the playoffs against the Saints last year when he dragged down Drew Brees with New Orleans' left tackle still between them. Made a tackle sandwich.

Quote:

Originally Posted by descendency

lol?

He was very good as a pass rusher, but was a total liability in the run game. He was knocked off the LOS a good 5 yards on some of those plays.

Seems like a mid round sub package rusher.

I wouldn't call him a "total liability," but for a guy who's in the neighborhood of 280 you expect him to anchor more consistently. I need to watch more of him, but at this point I kind of have him pegged as a classic example of a guy who's so insanely gifted that he never had to put forth much effort. His late-season surge is what you see from guys who realize they need to step it up to make it to the NFL, so I see in him less a guy that's a situational pass rusher as a guy who needs a demanding coach to work that immense potential out of him. His pass rushing ability is obvious, but I'm pretty confident that in the right situation he could be a great all-around player. He's certainly not limited physically. Right now he might be a sub-package rusher, but that's certainly not his ceiling.

Guys are always looking for an edge in college AND the pros. Some of the very best NFL players for example probably have taken HGH, because the NFL doesn't test for it. It's all about competitive advantage and I don't really see it as a huge character issue.

My only issue is that for guys whose physiques and athleticism are 60-80% the result of PEDs don't really translate as good/outstanding players at the NFL level.
The measurables usually don't hold up and turn into the field production.

I just have one question, how much did Catapano weigh as a HS senior??

Not hating on the guy, I hope he makes an NFL roster and gets the job done.
People here don't really talk about NFL players and PEDs because I think most assume they're already being used to some extent by x-number of players, however PEDs alone don't make you 'great'.

THere are too many variables involved in being a good NFL player that just being big/strong and fast in straight line are the minimum amount of skills you need to make it in the pros.

As a personal trainer you must know how prevalent the use of PEDs are by college and pro football players. Just saying.

Guys are always looking for an edge in college AND the pros. Some of the very best NFL players for example probably have taken HGH, because the NFL doesn't test for it. It's all about competitive advantage and I don't really see it as a huge character issue.

My only issue is that for guys whose physiques and athleticism are 60-80% the result of PEDs don't really translate as good/outstanding players at the NFL level.
The measurables usually don't hold up and turn into the field production.

I just have one question, how much did Catapano weigh as a HS senior??

Not hating on the guy, I hope he makes an NFL roster and gets the job done.
People here don't really talk about NFL players and PEDs because I think most assume they're already being used to some extent by x-number of players, however PEDs alone don't make you 'great'.

THere are too many variables involved in being a good NFL player that just being big/strong and fast in straight line are the minimum amount of skills you need to make it in the pros.

As a personal trainer you must know how prevalent the use of PEDs are by college and pro football players. Just saying.

Mike was about 235-245 lbs from what i remember as he was working here the summer before going into his first year of football in college. He was 17 turning 18 at the time. And yes I am very familiar with PED use in sports which is why i felt so compelled to respond to your comment actually.

Mike is and has always been against it. This may stem, in part, from his internship he did with a top Surgeon from Hosp Spec Surgery in Manhattan who worked on many pro athletes and felt strongly that use of PEDs contributed to orthopedic injuries and the shortening of athletic careers. Mike is more concerned with staying injury free and having a long career. His goals are more centered on increased flexibility and functional speed actually.

Kid is a very uncommon genetic athlete with a VERY uncommon work ethic. My prediction for Mike is not only will he be a quality NFL player but one who will excell as a NFL player. His strength and speed are unusual but the things you cant directly measure like heart and mental focus are much higher. The most powerful asset for any athlete is their mind. Watch out for this guy, he is one of the most focused athletes I have ever met. I'm quite sure the experts this week in Florida will see something special in #77.